Interview By Evie Stevenson
A bright lit kitchen, homely, warm and perfectly clean. An array of fantastic new ingredients stand prominent, unopened on the counter top, ready to be released and turned into beautiful coconut macaroons. A soft fragrance of flowers and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau De Toilette is present, directing focus to the sink, and stood there by the washing up bowl and limbering up for a delicious afternoon of a baking marathon is Sylvia May.
Sylvia: “Oh I do love coconut macaroons. Now and again not just sit and eat them [laughter].
She grabs for her pinny hung up on the side of the cupboard. It’s a beautiful pop of pink,matching the display of roses in the vase on the windowsill (her favourites). She looks every inch the part, with a blossoming lovely smile from cheek to cheek. The recipe she follows isan original take on her mother Nelly May’s classic coconut macaroon recipe. By no means is it the conventional fashion to make macaroons, yet it works exquisitely.
Sylvia: “They’re absolutely divine these. I loved them when I was young. Oh... they were so nice.”
Her relish of the past was a clear emphasis of her excitement and passion, wanting to recreate her mother’s recipe to sheer perfection and do her proud. She starts by openingthe huge packet of sweet coconut flakes, measuring and scooping out four perfect cups full. The flakes are then sprinkled softly into a mixing bowl.
Sylvia: “Can you imagine one tray of coconut macaroons and there were 5 of us waiting for them to come out the oven. [laughter] We might have gotten one and a half each if lucky.”
Next is the sweet sugar, 150g to be precise, added in a hefty chunk to the flakes, to give the macaroons a special taste like no other. She binds the flakes, sugar and three eggs into one wholesome mixture. Resting the bowl on one side of her hips, she walks around the kitchen stirring and laughing.
Sylvia: “Mmm you can smell the coconut, reminds me of being a young girl and my mam baking [laughter].”
She gives the mixture a good whisking, folding consistently ensuring everything is moistened and creamy. The recipe is simple, yet extremely sweet and extra flavoursome. Reaching to the tallest cupboard Sylvia searches for something right at the back, fetching down an egg cup of all things. Using the miniscule egg cup, she wets the inside under the tap, with the intention being that when dolloping the mixture in, it doesn’t slip out.
Sylvia: “My mam would make all kind of things when we were young. It were war time you see and she would make us treats with whatever she could get her hands on. She were goodlike that my mam, always doing the best for us.”
Using a big spoon, Sylvia scrapes a small portion of the mixture no bigger than the spoon itself and places it carefully into the egg cups. Once all egg cups are filled precisely to the top no more nor less, they are then placed delicately into the oven for 15 minutes.
Sylvia: “You don’t want them to be in for too long, just long enough for them lovely flavours.”
The egg cups are a secret trick Sylvia’s mum made up to guarantee each macaroon was even in size. As Sylvia always says, Nelly was spot on with little tips like that.
Sylvia: “Oh... can’t you just smell them. Absolutely lovely.”
Sylvia stands by the oven with a focused grin on her face, hands on hips ready to take the macaroons out of the oven. One hand in an oven mitt the other gripping onto the oven door. The warmth and delicious aroma of coconut fills the kitchen immediately. There they are, beautiful, crumbly and mouth wateringly delightful coconut macaroons.
